Combined hay, grain, and stock rack.



J.'L. GLAUDIN.

- oommmm HAY, GRAIN, AND STOOK RACK.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 9, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

In venror J. L. GLAUDIN. COMBINED HAY, GRAIN, AND STOCK RACK.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 9, 190B.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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(W/fnesscs W J. L. GLAU-DIN. COMBINED HAY, GRAIN, AND STOOK RACK.

'APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 9, 1909.

Patentd Apr. 11,1911.

3 SHEETS-$111131 3. v I

I n den for" [messes w we 1n: NORMIS FETIRS cu, WASHINGTON. n. c.

JOHN L. GLAUDIN, 0F MORTON,

ILLINOIS.

COMBINED HAY, GRAIN, AND STOCK RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed October 9, 1909. Serial No. 521,945.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN L. CLAUDIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morton, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Hay, Grain, and Stock Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to certain new and useful improvements in combined hay, grain and stock racks, and has for its principal object to provide a wagon body capable of being changed from an ordinary hay-rack to a basket-rack, or hog-rack.

The invention consists essentially of a body portion to which may be detachably attached cross-pieces; frame parts capable of having an interchangeable connection with the ends of the cross pieces and body portion, whereby a hay-rack or basket-rack may be provided and also a hog-rack, and double-folding ladders adapted to have a pivotal connection with the body portion or with the frame portions when serving as the sides of the hog-rack.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure l is a perspective View showing the invention assembled as a basket-rack; Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the invention assembled as an ordinary hay-rack, with the rear ladder folded; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the invention assembled as ahog-rack; in this instance the cross-pieces have been removed, the hinge of the rear ladder transferred from the bottom to the upper end thereof and said ladder partially swung showing how the end of the rack is opened to admit or remove hogs from the rack; Fig. 4 is an end view of the hayrack and illustrating a modified connection of the cross-pieces to the body portion; Fig. 5 is an end view of the basket-rack, being similar to Fig. 4, except that the side frame parts are raised, whereas in Fig. 1 they are down; Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an end View of the hog-rack; Fig. 8 is a partial longitudinal section of the body portion, two of the cross-pieces and rear ladder which latter is shown in dotted lines in several different positions, and Fig. 9 is a detail view showing U-shaped brackets in which the ladder at the rear end of the rack is hinged.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

The body portion of the wagon or rack comprises the longitudinal side boards 1, the end and intermediate sills 2 and 3 and the flooring 4.

5 denotes a plurality of cross-pieces, in number corresponding to the number of the sills and said cross-pieces are arranged to be secured on edge across the upper edges of the side boards 1, preferably by being attached to vertical portions 6 of brackets 7.- The brackets 7 being secured to the side boards by bolts 8 which pass down upon opposite sides of boards 1 and through the sills. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I show the crosspieccs 5 attached to the brackets by bolts 9. In Figs. l, 5, 6, and 8 I have shown that the cross-pieces may have attached thereto cleats 10 between which and the cross-pieces the portions 6 of the brackets 7 may be inserted which will provide a much easier means of attaching and detaching the crosspieces, while at the same time they will be held against endwise movement. At the same time by providing the cleat 10 with an opening 11 coinciding with openings 12 and 13 in the upright 6 of the brackets and the cross-pieces 5, respectively, (see Fig. 6),the bolts 9 may be used if desired. Side frames composed of the bars 1 1 and the boards 15 secured to said bars, are arranged to have an interchangeable connection with the outer ends of said cross-pieces 5 and the brackets 7 of the boards 1. When using the device as a hay-rack or a basket-rack the bars 14 are pivoted at 16 to the outer ends of the cross-pieces 5 (see Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5), and may be swung up into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 to serve as a basket-rack, or lowered with the boards 15 resting across the cross-pieces 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4: to serve as a hay-rack. Chains 17 attached to the bars 14 and to the brackets 7 prevent the side frames falling or being pushed outward, and said chains assume the positions shown in Fig. 2 when the side frames are folded or laid flat on the cross-pieces 5.

At the front and rear ends of the body portion of the rack are arranged ladders 18 and 19. The former comprises the converging bars 20 connected by the boards 21 and the extension bars 22, which converge toward their upper ends and are connected by boards 23. Although not shown, the bars have a pivotal relation with the boards 1 and the bars 22 are pivoted at 24 to the upper ends of the-bars 20, so that the upper ends of ladder 18 may fold down on the lower portion, or into that position shown in Fig. 3, or down on the flooring 4 of the body portion, in a manner seen in dotted lines in Fig. 8, which view illustrates how the ladder 19- may be turned down and extended lengthwise on the flooring 4 of the body portion.

The ladder 19 for the rear end of the rack comprises the parallel spaced bars 25 connected by the boards 26. The lower board has rounded ends 27, see Figs. 4, 5, 7, and 9, which are adapted to have a pivotal relation with U-shaped brackets 28 secured to the inner faces of the boards 1. The brackets 28 being disposed horizontally to allow the rounded ends 27 of the ladder 19 to be moved into and out of position in the brackets 28 in a manner to be explained. Pins 29 serve to lock the rounded ends 27 in pivotal relation with brackets 28. To the upper ends of the bars 25 are pivotally attached at 30, extension bars 31. In Figs. 1 and 8'the ladder 19 is shown in several different positions. Fig. 1 shows the ladder in an upright position, with the bars 31 extended their full length. In Fig. 8 in full lines, the extension bars 31 have been turned down, their outer ends engaging the boards 4 of the body portion, locking the main portion of ladder 19 in an upright position. In dotted lines in the same figure, the extension bars 31 are turned at right angles, as the same may be used on the hograck, and the full ladder shown laid upon the floor of the main body portion of the rack, as in case it is desired to use the rack body for a purpose which will require that all projections extending above the rack be removed. The bars 31, when in the position shown in dotted lines in-Fig. 8, to be used on a hog rack, are maintained in this position merely by friction.

To change from an ordinary hay-rack or a basket-rack to a hog-rack, the cross-pieces 5 are removed from the side boards 1 of the body portion, and the side frames are reversed from the position shown in Fig. 1

to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the lower ends of the bars 14 suitably secured to the vertical portions 6 of the brackets 7, in manner seen in Fig. 3. When the side frames have been placed in this position, rods 32 are passed through openings in the outside boards 15 and end bars 14 and also through openings 33 in the upper ends of bars 25 of the ladder 19. Such rods 32 not only bind the side frames to the ladder but also provide a pivot on which the ladder 19 may be swung, as shown in Fig. 3. Pivoting the upper end of the main portion of the ladder 19 provides a means of access to or from the rack, by first removing the pins 29 from the brackets 28.

I am aware that to provide a rack capable of being changed from one form of rack to another, is not entirely new and that such racks have been provided with end closures or ladders; but I believe I am the first to construct a rack frame, where, with the removal of the cross-pieces and interchanging the side frames, I am enabled to provide an ordinary rack, form a basketrack or change from either to a hog-rack, and to also provide a double folding ladder, that is, a ladder having a pivotal connection with the body portion of the rack and said ladder having an extension pivoted thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

In a rack of the character described, in combination, a body portion comprising longitudinal side portions and sills connecting the same, a plurality of cross-pieces arranged to have a detachable connection with said side portions, a pair of sidefra1nes, said frames to have a pivotal connection with the opposite ends of the cross-pieces, whereby the rack may be used as a basketrack or a hay-rack, and also adapted to have a connection with said side-portions and stand upon edge, whereby the rack may be interchanged from a basket or hay-rack to a hog-rack, a ladder for each end of said rack, one of said ladders arranged to have a removable pivotal connection with the side portions of said rack, and means for pivotally connecting said ladder with said sideframes, when the rack is used as a hog-rack;

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, 1n presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. CLAUDIN.

IVitnesses CHAS. W. LA Poarn, ROBERT N. MoOoRMIox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

